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The Korea Times

By KTimes
In the realm of reality TV, being cast as a “villain” has long been a tactic to enhance viewership. However, the toll on the individuals behind these characters is becoming increasingly unbearable, as contestants endure relentless cyberbullying.
This toxic pattern, which has persisted for years, is once again in the spotlight because of several recent cases of online harassment targeting reality show participants in Korea.
One recent victim of this phenomenon is Seonkyoung Longest, 41, a contestant on Netflix’s cooking competition show Culinary Class Wars.

In a post on social media, she expressed her dismay at the cyberbullying she has faced since the show aired, saying: “I never thought I’d be cyberbullied by Koreans, but unfortunately, that’s what’s happening.”
Seonkyoung became the target of over 8,000 hateful comments on a single YouTube video, where users attacked everything from her nationality to her family. The root of the hate was her disagreement with fellow contestants during a group challenge.
She wasn’t the only one to suffer, as other contestants on the show have also been bombarded with insults, with commenters labelling them as “arrogant” for trivial reasons.
Seonkyoung’s experience is not isolated. A contestant on another popular Korean reality show, I Am Solo, has similarly opened up about the emotional toll of cyberbullying.

Ok-sun, a participant in the 22nd season of I Am Solo, recently posted a message on social media pleading for the hate to stop.
“If you don’t want to see me, please contact the broadcaster. But stop sending me these DMs. I can’t sleep any more,” she wrote.
Despite previously asking viewers to refrain from criticising her as a mother and a single parent, Ok-sun continues to face relentless online attacks, which have now persisted for more than three weeks.
Her supposed offence? Being perceived as selfish during the show. Her fellow contestant Sun-ja has also been a target, facing not only insults about her personality but also sexual harassment and derogatory comments about her appearance. Sun-ja is now taking legal action against her harassers.
The pattern feels all too familiar. For over a decade, reality TV contestants – especially non-celebrities – have been thrust into the spotlight, often edited to appear as “villains” to drive up viewership.


As a result, these contestants are left to endure the intense public backlash that follows. Their lives after the show become dominated by harsh criticism, forcing many into hiding or, in severe cases, engaging in legal battles against online trolls.
While viewers fuel the drama by posting vitriolic comments, production teams are often seen to be complicit by amplifying certain behaviours through selective editing – commonly referred to as “devil’s editing” – to construct narrative arcs that paint certain contestants as the “bad guys”.
Like other reality shows, Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars found success through this formula. The show became the first non-English-language Korean programme to top Netflix’s global TV chart for three consecutive weeks, fuelled in part by the polarising characters on screen.
Despite this success, Netflix has remained largely silent about the harassment its contestants are facing.
When asked whether the company has policies in place to protect non-celebrity participants, a Netflix official offered only a vague response: “We take necessary measures to protect contestants as needed.”
The company declined to comment on what specific support, if any, has been provided to Seonkyoung or other contestants targeted by online harassment.
Cultural critics argue that the responsibility for protecting contestants lies squarely with the production teams.
Ha Jae-geun, a popular cultural commentator in Korea, emphasised that this is not a new issue.
“We’ve seen non-celebrity contestants on reality shows face extreme levels of online abuse, even to the point of suicide. Calls to protect contestants have been made repeatedly, but producers continue to create villains for the sake of ratings,” Ha said.
He also criticised production teams for operating with outdated mentalities.
“The producers are stuck in a 20th-century mindset, but the reality is that once the content is out there, it can be replayed and re-edited endlessly. Contestants face harassment for years, but they have no control over how they’re portrayed,” Ha added.
Another cultural critic, Kim Hern-sik, called for a complete overhaul of reality TV production practices.
“Production teams should notify contestants of how they’ll be portrayed before airing the show. Moreover, they should take responsibility for the fallout, including any cyberbullying that occurs. A new regulatory framework is needed to hold them accountable,” Kim said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Read the full story at The Korea Times.
If you have suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 18111 for the government-run “Mental Health Support Hotline” or +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans and +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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From Culinary Class Wars to I Am Solo, cyberbullying directed at reality TV ‘villains’

Seonkyoung Longest, a Korean chef who recently appeared on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, has been the victim of persistent cyberbullying. Photo: Seonkyoung Longest

Culinary Class Wars is a popular Netflix South Korean reality TV show. Photo: Netflix

OK-Sun, who appeared in I Am Solo, took to social media to ask people to stop the negative comments about her. Photo: ENA / SBS

How was Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars made? A look behind the scenes of the popular show

Chef Choi Kang-rok in a still from Culinary Class Wars. Photo: Netflix



The directors of Culinary Class Wars take us behind the scenes of its production, and explain why they were worried some chefs would walk out during filming. Photo: Netflix

Judges Paik Jong-won (left) and Anh Sung-jae in a still from Culinary Class Wars. Photo: Netflix

Chef Jung Ji-sun in a still from Culinary Class Wars. Photo: Netflix

Chef Choi Kang-rok in a still from Culinary Class Wars. Photo: Netflix

Hit Netflix reality show Culinary Class Wars has made stars of the competing chefs

Culinary Class Wars, the most-watched non-English series globally on Netflix for two weeks, pits prominent South Korean chefs against unknown ones. Photo: Netflix

Culinary Class Wars has gained particular traction in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Photo: Netflix

How Netflix reality show Culinary Class Wars has brought buzz to a Seoul restaurant alley

The exterior of Keebo Edamame in Namyeong-dong in Seoul’s Yongsan district, one of the restaurants in the small back alley that are thronged with diners drawn by its association with hit Netflix reality show Culinary Class Wars. Photo: Instagram/@jacobhyun

Netflix show Culinary Class Wars has injected new life into Korea’s food and beverage scene. Photo: Netflix

Kwon Sung-jun’s Via Toledo Pasta Bar is in the same neighbourhood as Namyeong-dong in Seoul. Photo: courtesy of Via Toledo Pasta Bar

Dasarang Steak, which opened 40 years ago, still remains in the alley. Photo: Instagram/@koreanfoodguide

Dasarang Steak once used beef, sausage and bacon from a US military base as its main ingredients. Photo: Instagram/@koreanfoodguide

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Kim Tae-ri in a still from Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, one of eight new Korean dramas coming to our screens in October 2024. Photo: Disney+

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Producers of reality TV shows paint some contestants as ‘bad guys’, and don’t seem very bothered this makes them targets for cyberbullying


Producers of reality TV shows paint some contestants as ‘bad guys’, and don’t seem very bothered this makes them targets for cyberbullying.


Netflix

Mental health

Korea Times